The Callsheet Issue 10

ISSUE 10 | 2016

MIPCOM rnational shnit Inte fe st iv a l lm fi S h o rt

SOUTH AFRICA’S FILM HEROES Game Changers, Role Models and Pioneers

TV VS FILM VS COMMERCIALS

Achievements, Challenges and the Future

CONTENTS / 01

www.thecallsheet.co.za

02. Tomb Raider Reboot to Shoot in SA

10 14 20 25

SOUTH AFRICA’S FILM HEROES

In this edition, we honour the brave people that are making waves and breaking the mould in the local and international film industry.

05. Tess to Qualify for

Oscar Consideration

06. A Chat with

Christa Schoeman

08. The Callsheet

Celebrates Its 13th Birthday

10. South African Film Heroes

14. A Chat with Film Afrika’s Belinda Johnson

18. Series Review:

BELINDA JOHNSON

Film Afrika’s star Creative Producer on her successes, loves and highlights from her 20+ year career.

Cape Town

20. TV vs Film vs

Commercials

24. The RECCE Explores Universal Theme of War within Local Context

25. Egg Films’ Dani

Hynes directs ABSA’s My Moments

TV VS FILM VS COMMERCIALS

Kim Crowie unpacks each sector and identifies the highs and lows, based on recent industry statistics.

26. Current Issues Affecting the Western Cape Film Industry

27. Digital Lab Africa’s

Successful Call-Out

28. Why You Should

Attend MIPCOM

29. DISCOP

Johannesburg Announces Pitching Competition

DANI HYNES AND MY MOMENTS

Egg Film’s director Dani Hynes on “landing 75 aeroplanes at once” with Absa’s bold new campaign.

30. Tanzania: Locations

worth International Attention

32. Events to Diarise 34. Associations News 36. Directory of Advertisers

02 / SPOTLIGHT

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Alicia Vikander is the star of the Tomb Raider reboot © MGM - Warner Bros

TOMB RAIDER REBOOT TO SHOOT IN SA

The Tomb Raider reboot, which was originally meant to film in Australia, has moved to South Africa instead due to attractive tax incentives.

A

nother testament to South Africa’s att racti ve international filmmaking opportunities, the Tomb Raider reboot is now set to film in South Africa.

The production was originally intended to film in Australia, but recently gave it a miss due to the limitations on federal government tax incenti ves.

It was previously reported that Roar Uthaug’s upcoming Tomb Raider chose Australia’s

Gold Coast as a location, which sources said would begin sometime in February 2017. The film will star Alicia Vikander as a young Lara Croft who embarks on her first archaeological expedition on a mysterious island.

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira previously confirmed that the company was given state funding to produce international, large-budget films in Australia. However, according

to KFTV, Queensland failed to lock the next big installment of the action adventure franchise since the request for a Location Off set was not secured.

This is a rebate available to filmmakers that spend over US$15-million on their films.

In a statement, Screen Queensland said that the production had requested an uplift to the Federal Government’s Location Off set from 16.5% to 30% but they

were unable to secure a decision in time and had to take the shoot elsewhere. “Screen Queensland was advised the lack of uplift to the Location Off set incenti ve was the key factor,” they said.

Ausfilm reported to Gold Coast Bulletin that Tomb Raider is now to shoot in South Africa. It is directed by Roar Uthaug and written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and is scheduled to premiere in US theatres on March 16, 2018.

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NEWS / 05

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TESS EYES OSCAR CONSIDERATION

The award-winning feature film Tess, directed by Meg Rickards, went on limited release at Cinema Nouveau V&A Waterfront in September in order to qualify for Oscar consideration in the Best Foreign Film category.

T

ess is based on the novel Whiplash by Tracey Farren who was also responsible for the screenplay. The film introduces audiences to Tess, a twenty-year-old who sells her body on Cape Town’s streets. She survives by popping painkillers by the bunch and through her wry humour. But her life turns upside down when she falls pregnant. Though Tess tries to run, her past torments her. She begins to question her own sanity. Tess fights back, fighting her demons,

Christia Visser as Tess

searching for the truth.

Since its much anticipated premiere at the Durban International Film Festi val (DIFF) in June of this year, where it picked up awards for Best Editing (Linda Man), Best Actress (Christia Visser) and Best South African Feature, Tess film has continued to make waves. During its most recent outing at the KykNET Silweskermfees, the film garnered awards for Best Actress (Christia Visser), Best Cinematography (Bert Haitsma)

and Best Editing (Linda Man).

“Making this film has been a labour of love for me”, says Meg Rickards. “Everyone involved in the film has given absolutely everything and has been extremely brave in bringing this story to the big screen. It is really gratifying that their contributions have been recognised at both DIFF and at kykNET Silwerskermfees”.

Tess is distributed in South Africa by Times Media Films and will go on general release in February 2017.

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06 / SPOTLIGHT

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A CHAT WITH

CHRISTA SCHOEMAN Emmy nominated SFX Designer, and Hair and Make-up extraordinaire

A SNAPSHOT LOOK AT CHRISTA’S CV Make-Up, Hair & Sfx Designer • 24 Hours to Live - Feature Film (In Production) • Hooten and The Lady - TV Series (Sky) • Roots, Night One - TV Series (History) • Accident - Feature Film • AD - Beyond The Bible - TV Series (HBO) • Seal Team Eight: Behind Enemy Borders - Feature Film • Son of God - Feature Film • The Bible - TV Series (History) • The History of the World - TV Series (BBC) • Gettysburg - TV Series (History) Christa Schoeman with her make-up and hair team – Back Row: Marike Liebetrau (Make-Up Artist and Prosthetics) with Talli Pachter (Key Hair), Seated: Christa Schoeman (Make-Up Designer) | Photographed by Joe Alblas and assisted by Anika Molnar on location at the On Site Gallery in Cape Town.

On being nominated for an Emmy My initial reaction was surprise, but at the same time I felt acknowledgment for our team.

Roots - Night 1 was the most difficult show we have ever done. In the last week we worked 47 hours overtime on top of the regular 72-hour week on extreme locations depicting the heavy subject matter of slavery, but we had a good times, with many precious moments we shan’t forget!

I’m very proud of my team — Niqui De Silva and Talli Pachter (who is up for a second Emmy nomination in the category for Hairstyling for a limited Series or Movie

for Roots), Marike Leibetrau and trainee Maya Rhodes.

We went to LA for the 68th Creative Arts Emmy Awards on the 10 th to fly the flag not just for our work, but for recognition of international industry standards in the South African film industry.

On honing her craft I studied Theatre Crafts at the then Pretoria Technicon, but that was a million years ago. Let’s be honest, most of what I now know, I learned ‘on the job’ by watching and copying and making a plan!

On her biggest accomplishments I’m most proud of The Bible, a TV

series for the History Channel.

We were shooting in Morocco for five months, and it was the biggest personal learning curve I’ve ever had. Episode one began with Adam and Eve, but the series covered 70 000 years, all the way to the crucifixion. The research was intense but the lack of real information also allowed for real creativity. On a creative level, it was a dream job.

On her love for her job What I love most about my job is that moment when my artist sees him or herself in the mirror after makeup and/or hair and their character clicks into place.

Key Make-Up & Hair • Dredd (2nd Unit) • Dream Hotel • Scorpion King: Rise of A Warrior (2nd Unit) • Lex Deux Mondes • Lord Of War • Duma

On the challenges she faces in her career With any career path, there are many different challenges, but the only one that I would like to change is the extreme hours, and in particular the six-day week. It means having a life outside of your career is almost impossible. It can lead to burn out and a lot of very talented artists leaving the industry to pursue a less time-consuming career.

08 / FEATURE

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ISSUE 10 | 2015

ISSUE 11 | 2015

ISSUE 12 | 2015

ISSUE 01 | 2016

Featuring

+ RENTAL ROYALTY

CAMERA SHOOTOUT

Rental Companies on their Most Sought-After Film Cameras

SA’s top DOPs put the Best Cameras to the Test

STILLS PHOTOGRAPHY

+ SHNIT INTERNATIONAL

SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 2015

BROADCAST STUDIOS

Mini-Movie Fans Converge in Cape Town

+ FILM AND TV STUDIOS

+ LONG-FORM ANIMATION

+ LOCATION TRENDS

The Leading Training and Development Institutions

+ THE VISUAL EFFECTS INDUSTRY

+ OUTBOUND MISSIONS IN 2016

Top Location Managers on the Ever-Evolving Industry

Industry Leaders in South Africa Speak Out

ISSUE 02 | 2016

ISSUE 03 | 2016

IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Callsheet ’s Annual Industry Audit

Reflecting on a Year of Innovation

Spotlight on Broadcasting in South Africa

+ WHERE TO STUDY FILM IN SA

+ SA’S OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN FILM A Celebration of the Incredible Women Growing our Industry

The State of the Industry in 2015

Wesgro, the dti, National Film Commissions and more

ISSUE 04 | 2016

ISSUE 06 | 2016

AN T DURB MAR FILM NS ES LIO CANN

N DLIO RAPI MIPTV

N TOW NAL CAPE RNATIO N INTE ATIO ANIMIVAL FEST

+ SA’S SOUND STUDIOS An Industry Audit

+ CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL

ANIMATION FESTIVAL

Stick Man, Boy and the World, and more

+ MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR SHOWCASE The Vibrant World that is Galvanizing SA

+ OF KINGS AND PROPHETS

ABC Studios’ First Large-Scale Production in SA

+ LOCAL TELEVISION CONTENT

The Companies Raising the Bar in SA’s TV Sector

+ MANUFACTURERS OF FILM GEAR Industry Leaders Share Their Insight

+ THE BUSINESS OF

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING Spotlight on Alison and Miners Shot Down

+ PRODUCTION COMPANIES IN AFRICA An Industry Audit

+ BOOK OF NEGROES

SHOOT YOUR WINNING COMMERCIAL IN AFRICA

SA/Canada Co-Production Sweeps Awards

THE CALLSHEET

CELEBRATES ITS 13TH BIRTHDAY Callsheet editor Katie Reynolds-Da Silva interviews publisher Lance Gibbons on the publication’s key successes and goals.

Why did you initially create the Callsheet?

The Callsheet was born out of sheer desperation for timeous information that was pertinent for production companies, in order to better serve their clients. Visa processes were changing every few months, City permitting processes were being established, exchange rates were fluctuating and constant political

uncertainty was a big challenge for the sector, as they are today.

As the industry started regulating itself, we assisted in sharing industry best practice, printing CPA codes of best practice for various departments and freelance positions within the commercials sector, dealing with crewing agents and addressing job descriptions and functions, and keeping industry

safe by outlining fair working hours. It was, and still is, a real source of up-to-date information that assists producers and the industry develops.

How does your vision for the publication align with your other projects?

My vision has always been to create a publication that truly reflects the industry in

a meaningful way. I want to always offer our readership something new and exciting to consider when they pitch for the next job, or the next script they look at, or when next they source funding. I want to continue connecting the industry and sharing knowledge. Our next big project is to launch Film Summit Africa. This programme

FEATURE / 09

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will bring foreign producers to our shores and allow both established companies and new, burgeoning companies to offer their services and expertise to new markets. The support from the industry has been incredible!

What are your main goals?

I aim to grow our publication to be Africa’s leading film resource both in print and online. I believe that with the team we have, we will achieve this in the next few years. Our publication has earned the respect of our industry and we’ve done all we can to grow and develop the sector.

Now that the Callsheet has truly come of age, what you see for the publication in the future?

I would like to see a bigger publication with even more valuable content and essential news. Soon we will be launching our industry web-portal, that ad_LOOKING BACK.pdf willprint further att ract both foreign1

clients and service local independent filmmakers.

What are your biggest recent successes?

Our most recent success has been the development of the first every Loeries printed daily newspapers; this was a great achievement and once again a value add for the industry. My biggest success must be development of a truly strong and ignited team filled with passion and love for the industries we work in.

Besides interviewing Kevin Spacey and a heap of other celebs, which highlights stand out for you?

My biggest highlight has been watching the industry evolve, and enjoying the support from our readership and clients. Seeing people find value in what we do and loving the publications. It’s always so inspiring to receive 2/9/16 2:56 PM people about feedback from

I AIM TO GROW OUR PUBLICATION TO BE AFRICA’S LEADING FILM RESOURCE BOTH IN PRINT AND ONLINE. I BELIEVE THAT WITH THE TEAM WE HAVE, WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. OUR PUBLICATION HAS EARNED THE RESPECT OF OUR INDUSTRY AND WE’VE DONE ALL WE CAN TO GROW AND DEVELOP THE SECTOR.

how the Callsheet has helped or supported people and their initiati ves. Working in a creati ve industry, you often feel alone and we hope to bridge the gap and share a sense of community.

What do you think the future holds for the industry in South Africa?

I feel that the USA has only just started to discovery SA. I feel

that with new leadership in our country, our industry can only take off and succeed.

Our facilities and skills are improving constantly, our stories are global and are starting to be noticed, our creati vity is untapped but not for long. I have a sense that as we find more stability in our leadership, this sector will seriously reap the benefits.

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10 / FEATURE

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Christia Visser has blown the nation away with her candid portrayal of women fighting for survival in Alison and Tess.

Fidel Namisi - Producer and Writer at Coal Stove Pictures; creator of SA’s first award-winning dance film Hear Me Move.

SOUTH AFRICAN FILM HEROES

There are many – too many to count – who are adding value to the SA’s ever-growing film industry. The Callsheet pays homage to those who are an inspiration, those who are pushing boundaries, and those making a real difference on the ground.

S

outh Africa is in a season of success in local films.

Not only is the country getting recognition for its stellar production capabilities and pristine locations, but it has also now become home to some unique stories, story tellers, and story sellers. The Callsheet looks at some of the people who have done great work in the last year or two, as well as those who are pushing the boundaries of local filmmaking, and those who are developing the professionals of tomorrow. Here are some of South Africa’s film superheroes.

BONGIWE SELANE A woman with immense talent and experience in the local industry, Bongiwe Selane’s most recent success came in the form of Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, an adaptation of Nozizwe Cynthia Jele’s novel of the same name. As producer on the film along with Junaid Ahmed and Helena Spring, she guided the production from script to screen flawlessly. The film made over R12.7-million in the SA box office – surpassing all expectations.

“I’m very excited about the

state of our industry at the moment,” she told The Writing Studio’s Daniel Dercksen earlier this year. “I think we are at a positive and growing place right now and moving in the right direction. First-time film producers (like myself) are being given a chance and invested in, and these are positive risks that funders are taking because it’s the only way this industry can grow, the only way that alternative narratives can come out.”

Bongiwe is passionate about developing the women filmmakers of South Africa and

has been producing a slate of 10 short films through the Female Only Filmmaker Project, with the support of the NFVF.

CHRISTIA VISSER The poster child for what violence against women looks like on the big screen, Christia Visser has blown the nation away with her candid portrayal of women fighting for survival despite insurmountable odds. In Alison she re-enacts the incredible story Alison Botha, a woman

FEATURE / 11

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privilege of speaking to some ex-sex workers and to see what they went through and to hear their stories is incredible. It’s so easy to judge when you’re not in that situation. It was a dark journey but the reward is so big.”

ELIAS RIBEIRO

Queen of all things Virtual Reality, Ingrid Kopp truly is growing the African VR scene, piece by piece.

who in 1994 survived being raped, stabbed in the abdomen 37 times, disembowelled, and her throat slashed 17 times. In Tess, Visser is a sex worker who falls pregnant and has to fight to keep her past from swallowing her whole. It is based on the novel Whiplash by Tracey Farren.

Both of her performances are deeply personal and incredibly moving, and, speaking at a press conference recently, she too has been moved by these stories.

“I don’t think there’s ever a proper way to prepare yourself for something as hectic as rape, and I in all honesty, don’t know what it’s like. But I did Alison first and

I spoke to her about what she went through, what she felt and what she was thinking and that helped a lot. In Alison’s case, it was almost easier because even though I had to go through all the emotions the rape wasn’t on screen – but it was great preparation for Tess because by then I had really thought about it. Tess was for me an especially difficult character to play because she is so far from me. Her morals are so different from mine – or so I thought. I was incredibly scared at first, but the moment I put myself into it, I realised there is so much we can learn from this character. I had the

Elias Ribeiro is a forward-thinking Producer and the Founder of Urucu Media – a company that’s pushing boundaries in the local film scene. Although originally from Brazil, he has made his home in Cape Town after completing his film studies in SA a few years back. In 2015, his production Necktie Youth ushered in a new wave of South African cinema, while his way of marketing the film took on a unique form – partnering with the producers of Love The One You Love for theatrical releases, online viewing, events and broadcast, among other things.

In 2016, Urucu Media launched the REALNESS Screenwriting Residency under the mentorship of Berlinale Talents, and in partnership with some major international festivals and organisations: Nirox, Durban FilmMart, Restless Talent, the French Institute of SA, Cinemas du Monde, Torino Film Lab, EAVE and World Cinema Fund.

Five unbelievable young African writers from across the continent received this opportunity, with the seven-week residency concluding in August.

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FIDEL NAMISI Another international who has found a home in SA’s film industry is Fidel Namisi. The Kenyaborn screenwriter is based in Johannesburg and is Producer and Writer at Coal Stove Pictures – the company that created South Africa’s first award-winning dance film Hear Me Move. In 2013, Fidel won the first WGSA Muse Award for Best TV Comedy Script for Tooth and Nails. In 2015, he was nominated for two Muse Awards: Best Unproduced Script for Bring Back Lost Lover and Best Television Comedy for The Call Centre.

Although an excellent content creator, Fidel’s involvement in the film industry goes deeper.

He is part of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association (DFA) and in 2016 was one of the six SA Trainers who co-facilitated two intensive Producers’ Workshops under the Business Model Programme which ran in conjunction with Durban FilmMart.

INGRID KOPP Queen of all things Virtual Reality, Ingrid Kopp truly is growing the African VR scene, piece by piece. This uber-smart woman is a Senior Consultant for the Interactive Department at Tribeca Film Institute, and has been working in independent film for over 16 years, focusing on the intersections between storytelling, social media and technology

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12 / FEATURE for the past eight years.

“I curate Storyscapes for the Tribeca Film Festival. Curating interactive work and working with the creators to build their installations is a wonderful part of my job,” she says, “I believe in maker culture and in making the web not just using it.”

Most recently she co-founded and co-directs Electric South, a non-profit organisation in Cape Town that creates the production, tools and distribution system for media in 21st century Africa through funding, incubating and exhibiting the world of Africa creators. The organisation is currently funding and producing six VR projects across Africa.

JOLYNN MINNAAR The fearless Director of groundbreaking, award-winning documentary Unearthed, Jolynn Minnaar has continued to tackle fracking issues since the film’s release in 2014. The film documents the extensive journey Minnaar took – 18 months of research, over 300 interviews, travelling across SA, the USA, Canada and the UK, battling gag orders, no trespassing zones and suffering first-hand chemical exposure to get to the bottom of the controversial topic.

In 2016, Jolynn has moved some of her attention to enriching the role of women in the film industry. She is part of a group working on a national Women Making Films Database to promote the employment of women, referrals and collaboration. There are currently groups of the organisation in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

JULIA SMUTS LOUW Although she’s been on the animation scene for a while, Julia Smuts Louw burst into the limelight when her company Sparks Flew Development Studio’s The Crash was shortlisted for Triggerfish Studio’s Story Lab

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initiative in 2015. Shortly after, The Crash was selected to pitch at the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival in their MIFA category.

More recently, however, she founded Draw for Life, an outreach programme created in partnership with Animation SA, PASCAP Trust, The Animation School and Triggerfish Foundation. The ten-week course offers the fundamentals of drawing for animation to underprivileged teens in the Cape Flats area. She told Farren Collins of The Times that too little was being done to promote animation as a career option, especially for children from poor communities.

“Good animators are in high demand and good black animators are in even higher demand. You don’t need a lot of resources to do this. You just need a pencil, some paper and a stopwatch and you can practise these skills to a level at which you can develop a portfolio that could get you into an animation school.”

Julia is also Head of Marketing at Animation SA. She believes that “as our industry grows, so does the need to identify and train new talent, wherever it might lie.”

RUDI RIEK Rudi Riek is an integral cog in the film industry of South Africa.

Not only is he the Chair of the South Africa Association of Stills Producers and consultant to the Commercial Producers Association on locations, but he is also Administrator of the Film Industry Fund – a charitable fund that allows filmmakers to invest in local communities – and Administrator of the Film Industry Visa Assistance (FIVA) Structure, created by the CPA, SAASP and NAMA after successful negotiations with the Department of Home Affairs.

But despite having such a vital position in the industry, Rudi remains humble and down-to-earth. “All of these roles have one key factor, one thing that makes them work and

Sibongile Mlambo plays ‘Eme’ on Starz’ Black Sails , and performed in Ladygrey, The Last Face , and Honey 3 .

one key responsibility on my part – building relationships,” he explains. “The synergy which exists between all those roles has meant that we can present a united front and have been doing so consistently for about six years. I have been able to engage with our various partners in meaningful discussions, which have led, in many instances, to more favourable conditions for our industry.”

Some of these successes include actively engaging provincial roads to allow filming on the R44 after it was embargoed, engaging with Transnet to allow filming on trains in the Western Cape, allowing filming in small harbours by engaging with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, engaging the City to allow animals and plants on Atlantis Sand Dunes after a ban. FIVA has aided close to 14 000 people in entering the country legally for film purposes, while the Film Industry Fund is currently supported by 37 production companies and has generated over R700 000 and given back to communities in which filming has taken place.

Most recently, Rudi has been

working on the new filming bylaws for the City of Cape Town.

SETON BAILEY Project Manager at the Film Industry Learner Mentorship (F.I.L.M.) Programme, Seton Bailey has for years helped grow the local film industry by providing experiential learning opportunities, employment and career channelling for previously disadvantaged filmmakers who are struggling to access the industry through conventional channels.

“What does it take to crack it in this notoriously unforgiving arena? Regardless of entrants’ academic qualifications, you need to familiarise and equip yourself fully in the environment you are striving to access and excel in,” Seton told the Callsheet recently.

“It might seem strange, but the academic entry level of South Africa’s crews is historically quite low – mostly doctorates from the University of Hard Knocks.

And you definitely don’t need a doctorate to make a movie, just a good deal of financial support, mentorship and broad, hardwon, hands-on experience.”

FEATURE / 13

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F.I.L.M. has provided hundreds of entrants with a vital bridge into an industry who often appears inaccessible. Working in close partnership with leading, long-form production companies, commercials companies, the dti, the National Lotteries commission (NLC) the MictSeta and top tertiary education institutions, the F.I.L.M. programme places trainees and interns on productions on an in-service training programme on local and international productions or in production companies.

SIBONGILE MLAMBO A talented young woman of Zimbabwean and South African parents, Sibongile Mlambo is exploring her #BlackGirlMagic on screen and inspiring many through her work. She’s had a successful career in commercial modelling in SA, and has been rising through the ranks since

EVERY YEAR I WOULD SEE PROGRESS IN MY CAREER WHICH GAVE ME A STRONG SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT; I REALLY UNDERSTOOD AND INTERNALISED THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. her big break as Eme on Starz’ Black Sails. She also performed in Ladygrey, The Last Face, and has a starring role in Honey 3.

The actress, who now lives in Los Angeles, is ecstatic that she’s able to do what she loves for a living. “This was something I didn’t

think was possible for me, I would wonder how long it was going to last,” she told Zimbassador.

“Every year I would see progress in my career which gave me a strong sense of accomplishment and achievement; I really understood and internalised that nothing is impossible.”

TERRY PHETO A local actress and producer who stole hearts with her role as Miriam in the 2005 Oscarwinning feature Tsotsi, Moitheri Pheto – better known as Terry – has since then grown into an inspiring producer and entrepreneur. After her debut on Tsotsi, she appeared in Catch a Fire, Goodbye Bafana, How to Steal 2 Million, Jacob’s Cross, and in 2011 landed the role of Dr. Malaika Maponya, on the American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

Although she’s been in

a number of high-profile productions (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Cuckold, and the Madiba mini-series set for a 2017 release) her crowning role in 2015 was as producer on the hugely successful local film Ayanda. It has not only been well-received both locally and internationally, but was picked up by renowned US Director, Screenwriter, Film Marketer, and Distributor Ava DuVernay (Selma). The film was released through Duvernay’s company ARRAY last year.

“I’ve been proud of the film from day one. I’ve always known that this is a special film, whether it received international recognition or not,” she told Destiny recently. In the true spirit of ploughing into the industry, she added, “Tsotsi did wonders for my career. I can only hope that Ayanda will do even more for Fulu [Mugovhani].

People are already raving about her brilliant performance.”

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A CHAT WITH

BELINDA JOHNSON Film Afrika are leaders in South Africa’s international service industry, and it comes as no surprise that behind almost every major production is a strong woman pushing things forward. The Callsheet speaks to Creative Producer extraordinaire Belinda Johnson.

A

formidable force behind the scenes at Film Afrika, Belinda Johnson has had a hand in many of the productions the company has worked on in the last decade.

Sculpting each project at the conceptual level and visually showcasing what South Africa is capable of, she always manages to find the perfect location for big-budget films and series.

The Callsheet chats with this film industry pioneer to find out what she’s done recently, and what makes her tick.

When did you enter the film industry, and what brought you to Film Afrika?

I joined the film industry in 1993 or 1994. I’d been travelling overseas and had been out of the country three years and I came back to South Africa specifically because I wanted to vote – I wanted to be part of that whole process in ’94. I returned to Joburg and worked on an SABC show called Your Own Business, followed by a stint in production on commercials which I soon realized was not my cup of tea in the 90’s in Joburg. I got a position as an art co-ordinator on Anant Singh’s film The Making of the Mahatma. Shyam Benegal was the Director and I was working with the wonderful Designer Mark Wilby and his team of Chris Bass, Lisa Heart and Leigh Bishop – a great team that inspired me to make my career in the world of features’ art department.

The next big project that

One of Film Afrika’s recent projects ; Roots © A+E Networks, Unit Stills Photography by Casey Crafford | African Photo Productions

came along was The Ghost and the Darkness, with Moonlighting Films. I spent seven months on the banks of the Crocodile River in the Songimvelo Game Reserve, and people called this work! The Adventures of Sinbad happened in Cape Town and Roy Rudolphe offered me a relocation package to move to Cape Town. I worked under Billy Keam for two years on Sinbad Seasons 1 and 2.

Then I spent more than a year in Namibia on two Moonlighting shows with the amazing designer Wolf Kruger on Running Free and Beyond Borders. Billy gave me my break as an art director on a Greg Buckle show around 2001. I moved between commercials and features for the next eight years, Belinda Johnson

PRO-SPECTIVE / 15

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working with various production companies on show like The Ring of The Nibelungs, The Flood, Tunnel Rats, Blast, Starship Troopers, and The Three Investigators. When I first moved to Cape Town, I bought myself a Hi-8 camera which cost me R20 000, while I was driving a Beetle that had cost me R5 000. I could always be found with my camera and one of these days I’m going to get all that footage together; a testament to the 90’s art department crews in Cape Town.

In 2008, at 38, I had my daughter and after that I did one more job as a freelancer: End Game. I realized that having a young baby and working freelance wasn’t going to work.

So I took a six-month contract at Film Afrika to sort out their photo library. I started reading scripts and putting together some photo presentations for them.

I took my years of experience as an art director and applied it

to produce something that was quite detailed; a different form of presenting at an early stage.

So instead of just sending off a bunch of location pictures, it was a detailed plan of how we would put the project together creatively. Everyone loved what I did and after six months Vlokkie Gordon said, “We want you full time. What do you want to earn, and what should we call you?” That was 2008.

And I’ve been here ever since.

What’s a typical day in your life?

I’m called the Creative Producer and I love what I do. When the scripts come in, Film Afrika works as an integrated team.

In Development, we’ve got our producers who budget the show and I work with them to put together a creative vision of how and where we make the show work in South Africa. I pretty much read scripts, work

out the best location fit and take international producers to scout the locations. Working with a company full time allows one to take a long-term approach to addressing problem locations.

I work with the City of Cape Town, Wesgro and Rudi Riek of the CPA to continually unlock locations – so where bridges might have been burnt in the past through bad management of a location, or where government departments don’t have a policy in place for film. It’s about getting the message out there that the film industry is a force to be reckoned with. We are a contributor to the GDP, bringing in foreign investment, creating jobs not only in the industry but in service and the hotel sector.

Then of course there is film tourism. We are included under the banner ‘film and events’ but we are two very different sectors.

Filming is not a public event; it is a group of highly trained

individuals occupying a space for the purpose of filming. We work under very strict health and safety regulations, and if we know what the rules are governing a location, we stick to them and are accountable.

I am currently engaging with the Department of Defence to form a DoD Film Facilitation unit.

The Department of Defence has some of the most wellpreserved historic buildings, examples of which are not found elsewhere in the country. I also sit on the Habitat Council, which works to preserve historic buildings. We are starting to engage with SANParks, who in recent years have made filming in areas controlled by them almost impossible.

What projects have you been working on recently?

Last year we did Roots and we presented KZN so we travelled to different parts of KZN for

16 / PRO-SPECTIVE that shoot. It’s really rewarding when international producers are blown away by what we have to offer in South Africa in the way of locations. After almost a week of scouting I remember Producer Mark Wolper standing above the Mazamba Valley with his arms stretched out saying, “This is the Kamby Bolongo.” The Kamby Bolongo was where the story of Roots took place on the River Gambia. It is great to be able to deliver up the locations they have in their mind’s eye.

Film Afrika shot Tutankhamun last year for iTV. That was also really rewarding for me because for many years we’ve had projects come through our door where we try to match Egypt or Morocco, or other arid, desert-like locations.

And we have gotten it right to shoot here before, but the guys often go to Jordan or Morocco.

Those areas have become a little trickier now, obviously with the ISIS threat, and so people are looking to replicate these landscapes elsewhere. There’s a location up near Vioolsdrif which for many years I’ve been trying to present for shows. When Tutankhamun came, they were specifically looking for the Valley of the Kings, which is very arid, very dry, not a blade of grass, not Atlantis Sand Dunes. The Director, Peter Webber, loved my Vioolsdrif location. I think Joe Albas’s stills from this show, which featured heavily in the last Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa is a testament to how well this location worked for the Valley of the Kings. Even though it was not a big budget show they went up there for two weeks and shot the balance in the Kalbaskraal quarry.

I’ve coined the phrase “create and control”, which often gets a laugh from the team. It’s about creating a vision but shooting in a controlled environment.

Particularly on series, when you’re shooting on the go, your turnarounds are very quick, and you don’t have time to mess around, you really need to be able to create and control.

Then there was Saints and

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QUICK-FIRE Q&A

Tutankhamun © ITV; Film Afrika (Pty) Limited, Unit and Special Stills Photography by Joe Alblas | African Photo Production

What’s your ultimate way to destress?

It’s quite ridiculous because I’m continuously taking photographs of locations. My partner will get furious with me because we will be driving along and I’ll say, “Stop! I need to take a photo!”

What do I do to destress?

Hmmm… I watch movies! [laughs] And family time.

Often I also get cabin fever. They laugh at me here at the office because all of a sudden I’ll start rearranging the furniture. And I think that comes with years of art directing and set dressing.

If you were stuck on a desert island what would you need to survive?

Well, I’m quite practical so I guess I would need a water and food supply, a solar panel for my cell phone so I can take photos, and my family.

Roots © A+E Networks, Unit Stills Photography by Casey Crafford | African Photo Productions

Strangers, also shot last year – the story of the Plymouth Rock settlement in Massachusett s in 1620. The producers had scouted extensively in New Zealand and the project was going to New Zealand. And they decided on their way back to LA – because we’d done a really great presentation for them – why not stop by in Cape Town? They were really running out of time, their backs were against the wall with the release date set by the broadcaster. They didn’t want to bring on a scout, so we literally drove them around for two days.

The next minute the show was coming to South Africa. The big factor for them was within a 50km radius of Cape Town City they could find what they needed to make the show happen.

At the end of 2015 we shot A Cinderella Story, a lot of this had to be shot at a hotel and Film Afrika partnered with the Bay Hotel. They were amazing, prett y much giving us access

to much of the hotel. Suroor Corad was the Locations Manager and did a great job.

During the first quarter of this year we shot 24 Hours to Live starring Ethan Hawke. It was originally set in the USA and Mexico but the producers were open to setting it in South Africa and so we got to shoot Cape Town for Cape Town.

Gray Sinclair was Location Scout and Manager and did a great job managing a lot of inner city locations with support from the Cape Town Film Permits Office.

No Man Left Behind for National Geographic finished shooting in the first quarter of this year and we are currently in production and pre-production on a number of shows set in various farflung corners of the world.

How healthy is SA’s film industry overall? Where are the challenges and opportunities?

I think the South African dti [Department of Trade and

Industry] was visionary when they introduced the incentive for foreign films a number of years ago. It has turned our industry from a small backwater destination into the global player it is today.

Because of this incentive, we have been able to grow the experience of our local crews and we are now known as a destination with great infrastructure, experienced, hard-working crews, value for money and all in all a good place to take an international film or TV series. These incoming international shows continue to train up an increasing number of young South African filmmakers.

I’ve had a great experience working with F.I.L.M. [The Film Industry Learner Mentorship].

Over the eight years that I’ve been at Film Afrika, I’ve worked with Seton Bailey and was involved in setting up Kwaai City, which is the interns’ own production platform. I always have an intern or two working with me every year. Monde Mkhontwana, who

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I THINK THE EMERGING BLACK FILMMAKER’S FUND THAT’S BEEN ESTABLISHED IS REVOLUTIONARY. YOU SPEAK TO OTHER KIDS, OTHER YOUNGSTERS, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND NOBODY ELSE HAS IT. NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN GIVEN THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY

BY THEIR GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE LOCAL FILMMAKERS.

is now IT Manager at Cape Town Film Studios was my first intern.

Every one of the graduates that have interned with me are out there working in the industry today. I don’t go easy on them, but by the time they are finished with their internship, they are ready to work on a production.

Monde, Lubabalo, Hajra, Asanda, Siyanda, Rifiloe, Chumisa, Soyama, Sne, Nolita, (and anybody I forgot), I salute you. For the last two years, the NFVF have also placed two wonderful interns with me. This year I had an intern called Viwe Jack. I fast tracked him and he’s already working on Blood Drive. They love him.

Although Film Afrika strictly services international productions – that’s our core business – I think because of our position in the industry, we get a lot of local filmmakers who send us scripts, and wherever possible I try to read those scripts and send them feedback. I believe growing our own industry is of major

importance. I look at Hollywood as an industry and I think to myself that in ten years’ time, Hollywood is going to be saturated with South Africans. I can see that vision and I can see that in the talent of the young people who come through my door. It’s just a matter of time and our timing is perfect. With the whole awareness that’s come to Hollywood about having a more diverse persona, I think South Africa is perfectly positioned to export a lot of talent into the international market in the future, and through that, also bring it back into SA so that we can realize our own content and scripts.

It’s really important that we understand that we are in a global market. We can’t be writing stories that are only applicable to SA and expect the rest of the world to be interested in them. We’ve got to write stories with a global edge.

They can be set in Africa, but they need to have some kind of global context to them because you have to make sure everyone

else is interested in them. The youth now, though, are on the money, they’re really brilliant.

Write, write, write and write some more until your fingers fall off and you get really good at it.

I think the Emerging Black Filmmaker’s Fund that’s been established is revolutionary.

You speak to other kids, other youngsters, in other parts of the world and nobody else has it.

Nobody else has been given this amazing opportunity by their government to promote local filmmakers. We speak to people internationally, and they’re like, “Wow, that is amazing. And your rebate system is fantastic” – both for international filmmakers, and more recently for local productions. So it’s important to keep encouraging international productions to come here so that we can grow our local industry by upskilling them through training and skills transfer and by building relationships and bridges for creative energy to flow.

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CAPE TOWN REVIEW

The new six-part series is based on Deon Meyer’s bestseller Dead Before Dying.

T

he Callsheet was invited to attend a screening of the first episode of Cape Town at one of the standout locations from the series, the palatial Enigma House in Camps Bay, and got to chat to the author Deon Meyer, the executive producer Annette Reeker (who also co-wrote the series), and the lead actor Trond Espen Siem.

Says Reeker, “It took a while to finance [Cape Town]. Deon Meyer is very popular around the world and in Germany. In the beginning, we intended to do two 90-minute movies and then the TV business opened up and now it was more possible to have a series like this one. The interest was, from the beginning, to have an international programme.

And everything was shot in Cape Town.” The city’s beauty and seediness are displayed equally and unselfconsciously.

Malevolence lurks around every sun-kissed corner.

Acclaimed Norweigan actor Trond Espen Siem stars as Mat Joubert, a man teetering on the edge of oblivion in the wake of his wife’s brutal murder.

He is clearly a broken man, drinking heavily and treating all human interaction with barely concealed disdain and disgust.

One thing is clear, however, his work as a detective still means something to him. He won’t give in to his despair until he solves a puzzling string of murders that are plaguing Cape Town’s elite.

Trond makes light work of South Africa’s notoriously difficult accent, with only

Catch Cape Town on Universal Channel (DStv channel 117) on Wednesdays at 8.50pm.

occasional hints of a Nordic twang. “Ek is life vir jou!”, the actor exclaimed when the Callsheet praised his remarkable vocal process. Even more impressively, US actor Boris Kodjie (as cop Sanctus Snoek) nails the Cape Flats dialect in a way that would put many Cape Town locals to shame.

Mat and Sanctus are matched as partners by their police captain, much to the chagrin of the grizzled detective.

A reluctant and grudging respect develops between Mat and Sanctus, as they begin to unravel the complex rituals and symbols that characterise the murders.

Deon Lotz makes an appearance as the forensic examiner, and hopefully he becomes a bigger part of the plot. Veteran SA actor Arnold Vosloo also star, along with Colin Moss and Irshaad Ally.

Catch Cape Town on Universal Channel (DStv channel 117) on Wednesdays at 8.50pm.

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A PHOTO HIRE RETROSPECT: 13 YEARS IN ACTION

Photo Hire is one of the largest and most successful rental companies in South Africa, supplying premium equipment to both the photographic and film industries.

A

fter running The Curve Space Studio, owners Piet and Lauren Badenhorst saw a demand for high-end professional gear and Photo Hire was officially opened in 2004. Over the course of 12 years, Photo Hire has grown from a small studio space to a three-storey studio house with a walk-in store. Hosting rental and sales departments, a repair centre, gear check facility, printing lab and three studios – it’s a far cry from those humble beginnings!

The aim was to offer clients, a service of specialist, internationally renowned equipment. As this was quite an untouched market at the time, Photo Hire quickly rose in popularity and became the first choice for many professionals.

“Photo Hire has always been in the heart of Cape Town’s unofficial ‘photo district,’” Piet says. It was his creativity and Lauren’s determination of objectives that took Photo Hire from husband and wife act, to the current 18-man team.

With his photographic experience, Piet understands the needs of an ever-evolving industry, maintaining that their inquisitive minds have kept them at the top. “I like to know what the latest kit is, and I like my staff to get hands-on with all the gear we rent and sell. We attend all the major international shows like IBC, NAB and Photokina, and send our guys to brand headquarters

LIGHTSTAR Gorgeous Parlight

KINO FLO Select LED

RED Scarlet

for training. We also do a lot of research right here — on the net, in the field, working closely with the equipment— learning about the latest products and talking to clients, finding out where and what the need is.”

Photo Hire was the first to embrace the digital revolution, were leaders in the Canon 5D revolution and, as the first authorised RED Digital Cinema dealer in South Africa, offers the full RED range.

Photo Hire’s sales division, Cine Photo Tools, opened five years ago and began acquiring dealerships for the top international brands they’ve backed for years. This resulted from the company’s commitment to supply pros with the necessary tools to compete in the industry at an international level.

Starting off as a small walk-in store, Cine Photo Tools is now a thriving photo and film sales sector, with a fully functional e-commerce site and online presence. From action cams to broadcast cameras as well as monitors, grips, sliders, lighting, lenses, backdrops etc. they supply it all. Cine Photo

Tools is the authorised dealer of many renowned brands such as broncolor, Canon, Kino Flo, Schneider Optics, SmallHD, Eizo, Flanders Scientific, Leica and more.

Although Photo Hire has evolved immensely over the years, it holds true to its core values of hard work, dedication and passion.

Another reason they’ve stayed on top of their game is excellent customer service, as Lauren says, “When you walk in here, you can actually feel the enthusiasm, there are people passionate about what they’re doing, who have knowledge about what they’re selling or renting to you.”

From indie projects to top Hollywood sets in the Namibian desert, Photo Hire has supported blossoming and established artists all the way, helping to grow the local industry. Through sponsorships, advice, excellent service, amazing deals and going the extra mile for clients – Photo Hire has sustained.

What does the immediate future hold for Photo Hire? A few upcoming releases such as the

Siros L (broncolor’s line of portable battery-powered monolights), SmallHD’s production monitors, the Canon 5D Mark IV and the newly announced C700 Cine camera. Photo Hire has also recently acquired the dealership for Lightstar, a lighting company offering affordable lighting equipment. Additionally, Photo Hire is re-opening the newly renovated Printing Lab, with a team of experts to ensure you get the best-quality prints in the Cape.

Piet and Lauren agree that there’s no knowing what future tech advances will come, but they’ll continue to ‘move with the times.’ Photo Hire’s longevity lies in their ability to understand and adapt to the living nature of the photo and film industry.

CONTACTS:

Rentals: www.photohire.co.za Sales: www.cinephototools.com

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The Boers at the End of the World

Alison

TV VS FILM VS COMMERCIALS The motion picture industry in Southern Africa has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year or two. Kim Crowie explores the achievements and challenges in the film, television and commercial sectors.

I

t’s likely you’ve heard ‘golden age’, ‘disruption’, and of course ‘tighter budgets’ thrown around quite often in recent years. If not, welcome.

This is the foundation the brave, new, uncertain world of audio visuals has been built on. That said, the industry continues to innovate, achieve and grow in leaps and bounds.

From a money-making perspecti ve, the Afrikaans film sector has received immense support with Vir Altyd grossing R15.5-million, while Happiness is a Four-Letter Word saw astounding success in the local market, making R13.2-million in the SA box office. It’s also been a great couple of years for unique stories told by South

Africa’s rising youth, as well as international productions shot on location (Roots miniseries, and Saints & Strangers, for instance).

In terms of skills and capabilities, the industry continues to thrive. Postproduction and animation opportunities abound, with Refinery doing one of the largest post projects in SA to date: The Journey Is The Destination, and Triggerfish bringing home a coveted Annecy Cristal for Stick Man. Internationally, television continues as a firm favourite, with bigger budgets being thrown at episodics. This can be seen through the worldwide popularity of productions like Game of Thrones, Empire,

Vikings, The Walking Dead and House of Cards keeping audiences rapt – from broadcast and VOD platforms.

The commercial and stills production sectors, too, have been stretched to innovate with ever-tightening budgets and clients looking for truly integrated, digital campaigns.

2016 saw a healthy and busy season, with a number of awards – Cannes Lions, Loeries and APEX awards to name a few. According to a 2015 Wesgro report, the Commercial Producers Association (CPA) and the South African Association for Stills Photographers (SAASP) indicate that their media production adds over R1-billion to the GDP

and companies produced over R700-million of that with head offices in the Western Cape.

THE RISE OF LOCAL FILMS

There is no doubt 2016 was a year of South African filmmakers coming into their own.

Documentaries have excelled this year, with Jolynn Minnaar of the Documentary Filmmakers Association reporting continuous growth and a wave of young filmmakers challenging narrati ve norms and breaking away from conventional approaches. Indians Can’t Fly saw a SAFTA win for the TV doc, while Boers at the End of the World, Action Kommandant, Black Lives Matter, Mr Table Tennis and Noma received critical acclaim.

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Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror

WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF OURSELVES IN ORDER TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE’RE HEADED.

Another highlight was Alison receiving a nationwide cinema release, as well as The Journeyman opening Durban International Film Festi val – a first for a local doccie. That said, Minaar says there remains a lot of work to be done in “transforming the industry, broadening access to financing, skills transfer as well as building audiences to support local documentary storytelling.”

“Film seems to att ract the best and worst of us,” says Rowan Cloete, Executi ve Committee Member of SA Guild of Editors (SAGE), Editor, Motiongrapher and Colourist for Long Island Media at Ministry of Illusion. He says everyone wants to work in movies, so ultimately many sell themselves short, working harder for less money.

“The dti grant has changed the landscape considerably and it is ubiquitous” he explains. “The success is outgrowing catalogue, and out of the school of genre films will come our great voices.”

Animation has seen exponential growth in 2016, with a number of Annecy successes including made-forTV special Stick Man and sandon-glass animation ‘n Gewone Blou Maandagoggend. “We have partnered with DISCOP Africa, the continent’s largest multi-platform marketplace,” adds Nick Cloete, Animation SA Chairperson, “creating unprecedented opportunities for our members to network with broadcasters, pay-TV platforms, mobile networks, online operators, producers, advertisers, influencers and investors from around Africa and beyond.” He adds that despite this growth the industry is in need of qualitati ve research studies to gauge the health of the industry from a holistic point of view. “We need to have a more complete understanding of ourselves in order to know where we are and where we’re headed,” he says.

No matter what type of production, there is really only one choice in Namibia…

www.namibfilms.com Production Services | Feature Films | Commercials | Music Videos | Stills

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SUCCESSFUL LOCAL PRODUCTIONS • The Wound, a film currently in development

by Urucu Media of Necktie Youth fame, saw success at Venice Film Festival’s Final Cut. It secured €15 000 for sound mixing from Mactari Mixing Auditorium, while Titra Film has offered €10 000 for digital colour correction, for the production of a DCP master and French or English subtitles.

• Alison – a documentary – saw a cinematic release during Women’s Month, and has started a movement called the Butterfly Revolution.

• Dan Mace’s two short documentaries Mine Sniffing Rats and Gift won at Cannes Film Festival’s Young Director Awards.

• Ayanda was picked up by Ava Duvernay’s distribution company ARRAY, and was also part of the Cannes

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Film Festival market screenings along with Stone Cold Jane Austen, Necktie Youth, The Windmill, Dias Santana, Bordering on Bad Behaviour, The Man with the Heavy Leg, and Assignment.

• Coal Stove Pictures’ Hear Me Move won the soughtafter PRISM award for SA PR Campaign of the Year.

The film also won the Best Score and Best Original Screenplay Awards at Kalasha, and their Script Development Executive spent a week in the Criminal Minds studio at the beginning of this year.

• The much anticipated Noem My Skollie, about the life of writer John Fredricks, claimed the Number 10 spot at the Ster-Kinekor box office in its opening week in early September.

• Happiness is a FourLetter Word attracted 45 000 cinema goers in its first three days of release, and to date has received over R12-million in box office takings.

Stick Man - animated by Triggerfish Studios, Courtesy of Magic Light Pictures and Triggerfish. © Orange Eyes Limited 2015

TV CONTINUES TO SHINE

The golden age of television is not over yet, and the global hunger for original, inspiring content continues. In a recent MIPCOM report called Who’s Winning in the World of The New Television? Kayla Hegedus, Data Scientist at Parrot Analytics says, “The television industry is currently experiencing a period of rapid expansion in terms of both content and platforms.

The number of scripted series increased by 8.8% from 2014 to 2015; most of this growth can be attributed to the number of shows on OTT platforms increasing from 27 to 44. We estimate that in 2016, the number of scripted digital original series will increase again by about 65% to be over 70 titles.

Linear television also shows no signs of slowing down, with HBO planning to release 50% more programming in 2016.”

South Africa has seen some of this boom, with a slew of new series being commissioned by broadcasters as they grapple for airplay in the digital realm.

SA’s talent pool has also grown, however vast amounts of untapped potential still remain.

Says Carlynn de Waal-Smit, SA Guild of Actors’ Secretary: “The standards for SA actors in relation to our international counterparts is still too disparate for us to be able to be confident that we may have ‘arrived’ as an industry. On the local front more and more series are being commissioned and shot for SA television, so this is also a booming in the industry that we don’t always acknowledge.

The potential is immense for our talent on screen, we now need to make sure that it is not exploiting actors in the process.” SAGA has been working with the SABC around new TV contracts, as well as liaising with other industry bodies for facilitate industry standards for actors’ contracts.

“We are eagerly awaiting further processes and ultimately for legislation to be passed that will give Audio Visual performers

the right to their image, financially we are supporting the concept of a possible ‘Royalty’ paid to the actors who are on screen,” she adds.

Another issue that the industry has been contending with is the ownership of intellectual property. According to Mayenzeke Baza, MD and International Relations for the Association for Transformation in Film and Television, the industry is heavily subsidised and dependent on government incentive. “No one owns the IP. It’s owned by the broadcasters,” he explains.

“Because of that, its struts the exploration of rights and in turn offers no returns for the producers, only the fees they make on productions.

Basically, they live from hand to mouth. We are helping producers to finance their films outside the current local fiscal structure. The industry need better financing models.

The producers need to create projects that can attract private investment.” To this end the ATFT has been running an Export Accelerator programme in 2016, and also brought Netflix down to Durban FilmMart, with successful – but as of yet unannounced – results. “The industry can be very lucrative,” Baza says, “All we need is to start thinking like business people. We have to make content that the audiences want to see, create content that can travel, then we will find the market.”

According to Rowan Cloete of SAGE, TV has been on “a race to the bottom”. That is, every successful season has to top the previous with a smaller budget. “It is an amazing achievement that especially the format shows have as much integrity as they do, with fractions of the resources at their disposal compared with their parent or international counterparts. As the budgets shrink, quality has to follow suit and I wonder if an inured

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public will someday wake up and smell the robbery.”

Despite this, major international series continue to shoot in SA – from Black Sails and Tutankhamun to the more recent Stephen King series The Dark Tower featuring Idris Elba. Black Mirror also saw a couple of season three episodes shot on location in SA, while Universal Channel’s Cape Town, an adaptation of Deon Meyer’s novel Dead Before Dying was aired in September. Out of Africa facilitated Our Girl Season 2 and Jamillah and Aladdin has been greenlit for a second season.

Animators have perhaps seen greater strides in television than film, with Mind’s Eye Creative servicing a Canadian series for Netflix, PixComm’s Jabu’s Jungle being distributed in 40 countries through Gulli Africa and Econet Media, and Sunrise Productions launching a new children’s animated series The Explorers – exclusive to their YouTube channel.

COMMERCIALS BAG MORE AWARDS

The commercial sector of South Africa continues raking in the awards, with locals bagging almost 60 Cannes Lions, 13 D&AD Pencils, and a Silver APEX for Native VML’s Africa is Absolut campaign, directed

by Arcade Content’s Kyle Lewis – among many other accolades. As with the other sectors, commercials have felt the pressure of ever-decreasing

budgets. According to Rowan Cloete, six or seven-digit budgets are “are lamented in ‘do-you-remember-when’ terms, and the glamour and excesses have been replaced with a to-the-bone approach to all parts of the value chain. Clients bargain hard, deadlines are tight, and the canapés are charged for separately. We’ve seen some established production players bow out, and there is a general scramble to reinvent before becoming like our feathered friend the dodo.”

Not all is bleak, though, with the depreciation of the Rand creating favourable opportunities as well. “We worked with several clients for whom it made financial sense to shoot major global campaigns here, staying for around a month and flying in agency and client from all over the world for the relevant days of the project,” says Beccy Kellond of Moonlighting. She wraps up the benefits for internationals into a neat bundle: “From a production point of view, we have locations that replicate pretty much anywhere in the world, plus a southern hemisphere climate, plus production value, plus worldclass crew and suppliers, plus a compelling rebate scheme for long form, plus the industry’s track record and experience – from thousands of stills and production shoots to major Hollywood feature films.”

These all combine with the softer benefits for international travellers: visiting soughtafter tourist destinations, particularly in high summer.

SAASP has also reported growth in the last few years, with some members indicating that they were actually so busy they had to turn work away.

“The very weak Rand towards the end of 2015 would account for the increased budgets but there are still some factors hampering producers which include obtaining child work

THE INDUSTRY IN NUMBERS • South Africa’s locally produced films have seen growth of approximately 55% from box office revenues. (NFVF January – June 2016 Box Office Report)

• Out of 118 releases in January to June, 13 were locally produced films, and 4 of those were NFVF funded. (NFVF January – June 2016 Box Office Report)

• The film industry contributes R3.5-billion to SA’s GDP and over 25 000 jobs per annum.

(NFVF Baseline Study 2013)

• The stills industry hosted 4 015 international guests for a total of

permits timeously,” says Rudi Riek, SAASP Chairperson.

“Many clients still feel the process of obtaining visas is too complicated and then opt for alternative countries where they would not need to apply in person for visas… We have made really good progress with the City Planning and Filming bylaws in conjunction with our partners and the hope is that these new bylaws will create a balance between encouraging our sector and the rights of residents.”

36 135 accumulative days in 2013/2014. (SAASP) • The Western Cape remains the most preferred destination for film shooting in terms of co-production projects, with 13 co-production projects in 2010, 2011 and 2012. (Wesgro 5 Year Strategic Plan 2015-2020)

• In 2013, the Gauteng Film Commission created just under 9 000 permanent and temporary jobs through film productions and eight skills development initiatives which benefited 625 individuals.

It also issued 190 permits and supported 18 new film productions.

(GFC Film Report 2013)

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THE RECCE, EXPLORES UNIVERSAL

THEME OF WAR WITHIN LOCAL CONTEXT

Production has commenced on this subversive feature by Ferdinand van Zyl and Man Makes a Picture.

S

outh African Cinema is at a pivotal point. We are experiencing a rise in independent work and “new wave” films where filmmakers aim to tell local stories for an international audience, breaking away from the traditional cinematic output.

These works aim to challenge local viewers, and expose them to a cinema that is unconventional in not only it’s story structure, but aesthetics, a film that could hold its own in the world cinema arena. The RECCE is such a story, a film that subverts the traditional conventions of storytelling - a metaphorical film about the bush war with universal themes that explores a part of the South African collective consciousness.

The cast includes industry stalwarts such as Marius Weyers, as well as the award-winning Christia Visser, to name a few. Both Weyers and Visser are known for their roles in award-winning independent films such as Tess (Visser) and Dis ek, Anna (Weyers).

Marius Weyers came onboard without hesitation.

Commenting on why this script appealed to him he says, “I’ve discovered very few films about this dark and violent time in our history. Therefore, my first response to The RECCE was one of appreciation. Once the story started pulling me in I simply felt the project was something I wanted to be a part of. It’s a dramatic story of great sorrow in a time of war, but also of faith, family and the good in

I’VE DISCOVERED VERY FEW FILMS ABOUT THIS DARK AND VIOLENT TIME IN OUR HISTORY. THEREFORE, MY FIRST RESPONSE TO THE RECCE WAS ONE OF APPRECIATION. ONCE THE STORY STARTED PULLING ME IN I SIMPLY FELT THE PROJECT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO BE A PART OF.

people. Over and above there is a challenging and complex character for me to portray!”

The film has been in development for almost two years by writer and director, Ferdinand van Zyl who has recently partnered with Cape Town based production company and film studio, Man Makes a Picture (MMaP). Together the team has spent the last five months preparing for production by refining the work, adding value and scale to the film.

The Recce is the first feature film that the team are working on in partnership with Director, Ferdinand van Zyl and Producer, Alan Hayward. Co-Founder Jac Williams comments, “We have been looking to form a partnership like this for years and this project feels like it’s the right time with the right partners. We are very excited about this new venture – our first feature film.”

Speaking about the partnership, Hayward emphasizes, “Man Makes a Picture strives to be completely independent and avant-garde; both as creative artists and businessmen. We aim to develop and produce content with unique market appeal and aim tell our stories with a fresh approach that showcases creative freedom of expression that appeals not only to local, but international audiences as well.”

Production commenced in September on location throughout the Western and Eastern Cape of South Africa. The film is due for release in 2017.

SPOTLIGHT / 25

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DANI HYNES DIRECTS

MY MOMENTS FOR ABSA’S NEW WEBSITE Egg Films’ Dani Hynes wrote and directed nine short films for ABSA’s new My Moments website, as part of one of South Africa’s most ambitious online brand film campaigns so far.

Take us through “landing 75 aeroplanes at once”. Did you feel sufficiently prepared to juggle nine individual narratives? Or did you succumb to moments of panic?

There was so much planning, there weren’t really moments of panic, even when it rained on the wedding day. We were in preproduction for six months, we had five three-day recces, and I surrounded myself with experts.

So it was more about organised chaos with lots of balls in the air at any given moment, all of which had to land at exactly the same time.

than three seconds to show people getting married, or a baby being born, gave us time to find nuance. Most people who’ve watched My Moments have said, “It feels so real,” which is what were aiming for.

The harder moments were ones I felt especially passionately about. In advertising, we most often tend to focus only on the sweet moments in life, rather than acknowledging how lovely it is to have something so precious that

it hurts to say goodbye. So credit to Base2 and ABSA for giving us permission to tell really human stories, where you get moments of both warmth and pain.

What was the client’s feedback when they saw your finished product?

It’s always really lovely when the clients come into the offline and react as human beings first and as clients second, because then you know that you’ve done the right thing by them.

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How did you flesh out the initial brie�? Did you know immediately which “big moments” you wanted to focus on?

We were originally briefed about a five-minute movie about life’s great moments so when we went back with the idea of nine short films, the trust displayed by the agency and client allowed us the luxury of extrapolation.

Some of the moments were prescribed. But the key was finding new and honest ways of showing them. Having a platform that gave us more

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26 / SPOTLIGHT

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CURRENT ISSUES AFFECTING THE CAPE TOWN FILM INDUSTRY Courtesy of the City of Cape Town, Wesgro, the CPA and SAASP, as presented at the Locations Workshop – August 2016

T

he Cape Town Film Permit Office (CTFPO) is a onestop-shop office that receives and processes applications. It interacts with City Departments to facilitate, advise and assist the film industry through presentations, follow up meetings, and site visits, as well as monitor and review shoots and manage complaints.

The following issues have been identified by the CTFPO with regard to filming in Cape Town: City Services • Road Closure Permissions – fast-tracking, and the requirements of the Roads Department • Services - need to understand nature of industry and its timelines • Response times and continuity Councillors/Resident/Businesses • Timeous notification/ consultation • Complaints, increasing demands • Compensation demands • Gatekeeping Sensitive Areas • Constantia/Newlands/ Claremont • Bo-Kaap, Darling St precinct, CBD – Groote Kerk / street parking

• Other “emerging” areas such as Bishopscourt, Kalk Bay and Clovelly The CTFPO has emphasised that they have guidelines for filming in most of these areas, and these guidelines should be consulted regularly.

Industry • Late applications • Late submission of road closure applications • Bookings containing insufficient/misleading information • Last-minute changes to agreed schedules • Bookings by admin staff with no/little locations background/ experience • Location professionals on board at very late stage • Need to understand importance of early communication to CTFPO, residents and businesses • The majority of complaints relate to setting up/arrival at locations, as well as continuous activity at location all at once - both CBD and residential areas Please contact the Callsheet editor Katie Reynolds-Da Silva if you would like to voice your concerns or offer suggestions.

Email: katie@filmeventmedia.co.za

PERMIT DISTRIBUTION IN CAPE TOWN

The CTFPO granted 7 909 permits from the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. The distribution of permits is as follows:

SUBURB

SUM OF PERMITS

Grand Total

7 909

Cape Town City Centre Camps Bay / Bakoven Clifton Sea Point Schotschekloof Gardens

2 252 449 410 364 289 234

Zonnebloem Foreshore Constantia Muizenberg Green Point Woodstock Cape Farms - District B Llandudno Cape Farms - District H Three Anchor Bay Oranjezicht Signal Hill / Lions Head Hout Bay Mouille Point

234 227 197 196 190 177 153 133 120 117 111 110 108 98

FILM PERMITS: 1 JULY 2015 - 30 JUNE 2016 TOP AREAS Cape Town City Centre Camps Bay / Bakoven Clifton Sea Point Schotschekloof Gardens Zonnebloem Foreshore Constantia Muizenberg Green Point Woodstock Cape Farms - District B Llandudno Other

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SUCCESSFUL CALL-OUT FOR

DIGITAL LAB AFRICA

Digital Lab Africa closed its call for projects at the end of August with over 500 entries from 30 countries – reinforcing the platform as a springboard for African talent.

L

aunched on 1 June 2016 at DISCOP AFRICA Abidjan, the Digital Lab Africa call for projects closed with a bang on 31 August with 522 entries from over 30 Sub-Saharan African countries. This overwhelming response confirms Africa’s creative potential in multimedia content, and reinforces Digital Lab Africa as a springboard for African talent in this field.

In terms of numbers, South Africa and Nigeria are leading the pack with respectively 159 and 86 entries, followed by Ivory Coast (49) and Cameroon (48). In terms of categories, web creation and transmedia registered the highest number of entries (225), ahead of digital music (150), video game (82) and virtual reality (59).

The selected projects for each of the categories (three per category) were announced on 30 September 2016. From 2 to 4 November, the finalists will take part in a pitch competition at DISCOP AFRICA Johannesburg, partner of the DLA. The selected projects will

get a chance to win a 3,000€ cash prize and a Digital Lab Africa incubation ticket including mentorship and project development support by leading French multimedia companies. Additionally, the incubation programme will comprise a one month residency in France within digital hubs and participation in benchmark multimedia events. The expected outcome of DLA is market ready content/productions showcasing African creativity at its best.

“We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their projects. The incredible number and variety of entries we received is a true reflection of Africa’s creativity and potential in multimedia production and digital content,” says Frédéric Chambon, DLA Director and Regional Head of Film & Media at the French Embassy in South Africa.

MORE ABOUT DIGITAL LAB AFRICA

The Digital Lab Africa is open to any professional or individual

from Sub-Saharan Africa (artists, producers, startups, developers, students) having an innovative project in four categories of multimedia production: web creation/transmedia, virtual reality, video game (serious game) and digital music.

The objective of Digital Lab Africa is to provide a springboard for African talent in multimedia creation and to make their project happen with the support of French leading companies (studios, producers, broadcasters, distributors) such as ARTE (Transmedia), Lagardère studios (web creation), OkioStudio (virtual reality), CCCP (video game), and 1D Touch/ Believe Digital (digital music).

The DLA incubation programme also includes the following partners: • Digital hubs, residencies and labs for project incubation: Pictanovo, Cap Digital, Imaginove • Multimedia benchmark events for project presentation,

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Lights Camera Action We Help You Get The Job Done

capacity building, networking and fund raising: Paris Games Week/Game connection, Virtuality, Futur en Seine, Forum Blanc • Local partners, clusters and professional associations/ forums, for local support to the DLA platform and project incubation: Make Games SA/Interactive Entertainment South Africa, Virtual Reality SA, French Tech Hub Cape Town, Tshimologong precinct The Digital Lab Africa is initiated by the French Embassy and the French Institute in South Africa as part of their support to the creative industries in the region, in partnership with DISCOP AFRICA and TRACE.

CONTACTS

Alizee Dallemagne (IFAS), DLA Project Manager/Press contact Email: digilabafrica@gmail.com Clara Fouilland (IFAS), DLA project coordinator: Tel: +27 11 727 5124

28 / SPOTLIGHT

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WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

MIPCOM

MIPCOM is the year’s most anticipated global market for entertainment content across all platforms.

MIPCOM IN FIGURES • 13 700 participants, 2 019 exhibiting companies • 4 623 registered companies • 1 600 VOD & digital buyers • 4 800 buyers • 24 100m2 exhibiting area

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

2016 MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening of Splash and Bubbles , produced by The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Enterprises.

E

very October, the industry’s major players converge in Cannes to turn every moment into an opportunity, transforming four days of meetings, screenings and conferences into deals, from blockbuster programming to ground-breaking partnerships.

The Country of Honour at this year’s MIPCOM is Japan. The Country of Honour programme is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). The focus of Japan’s Country of Honour showcase in Cannes will be twofold: The rapid uptake of high-definition 4K broadcasting will be one area in the spotlight. According to research by Mitsubishi Research

Institute, penetration of 4K television sets in Japan is poised to explode, from around 6% of households this year to more than half of the marketplace by 2020 – ahead of forecasts for either North America or Europe.

Japanese operators are already broadcasting in 4K via satellite, cable and IPTV. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are due to be broadcast in not only 4K, but also 8K. Japan’s production sector is also shifting widely to 4K, as witnessed by the programming on show at MIPCOM. The second key focus will be on Japanese animation, with 2017 marking the 100th anniversary of the genre in Japan. Animation today accounts for 62% of Japan’s

TV programming exports.

MIPCOM 2016 will feature a look back at the history of Japanese animation, and will introduce the latest shows on the international marketplace.

WORLD PREMIERE TV SCREENINGS

“MIPCOM 2016 is hosting a record six World Premiere TV Screenings, which is a sign that premium content is increasingly driving the industry. We are very excited to be hosting the exclusive premiere of this reboot of one of the most successful movie and stage properties of all time, and proud to be working with such a valuable partner as FOX,” said Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division.

• Deirdre Brennan: Content VP, CORUS Entertainment • Kazuo Hirai: President and CEO, Sony Corporation • David Linde: CEO, Participant Media • Shonda Rhimes: Creator and Executive Producer of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal • Ben Sherwood: Co-Chair, Disney Media Network, and President, DisneyABC Television Group • Kiefer Sutherland: Actor and Executive Producer • Sophie Watts: President, STX Entertainment

VENUE ADDRESS The Palais des Festivals is situated on the beachfront along the famous Croisette.

Palais des Festivals, Esplanade Georges Pompidou, 06400 Cannes, France

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DISCOP JOHANNESBURG

ANNOUNCES PITCHING COMPETITION Independent Producers invited to enter.

D

ISCOP Johannesburg, the continent’s largest content market, continues to provide important platforms for the development of Africa’s future content producers.

DISCOP Johannesburg pitching competitions, the most recent in Abidjan in June and upcoming in Johannesburg in November, have become known across Africa as “must-attend” events for independent producers looking to generate funding for projects as well as for mentoring and networking.

The DISCOP pitching competitions are a vital element of the DISCOP markets that now take place annually in Abidjan and in Johannesburg, with the next edition scheduled for Johannesburg from November 2nd – 4th.

DISCOP runs and promotes these pitching competitions as a way to develop young talent and to support them in securing the necessary funding and distribution support to bring these projects to fruition.

The DISCOP Johannesburg pitching competition is open to all DISCOP Johannesburg registered producers and comprises categories of popular television genres: • TV Series • Documentaries • Formats • Animation

The pitching competition will take place on Thursday 3 November 2016 with the selected producers across the four categories under the spotlight.

Aspiring and established producers alike will have to pitch an original idea to a panel of industry key players and potential investors active in Africa and abroad, other producers, programming and commissioning executives and advertisers.

A winner and runner up in each of the four categories will be announced on the day and receive various prizes ranging from cash prizes, funding support, mentorship packages, marketing and distribution assistance, potential broadcasting and more, all prizes for the respective categories will be announced during September 2016.

All producers registered for DISCOP Johannesburg can enter in any or all of the categories.

The submission deadline is Friday 14 October 2016 and only 25 producers will be selected from the pool of registrants by a specially appointed committee of experts: five nominees for each of the categories.

Selected nominees will be notified by Wednesday 19 October and will receive promotional support to include: • A designated space on DISCOPAFRICA.com to promote

the nominated projects.

• Promotion of the nominated projects on all social media platforms associated to DISCOP Johannesburg and to the DISCOP Johannesburg pitching competition.

• 10 x VIP invitations to the DISCOP Johannesburg pitching award ceremony to take place on Friday 4 November • ‘How to Pitch’ coaching session to take place on Wednesday 2 November @ 3pm, the day before the pitching competition.

• One-on-one 10 to 30-minute preparation session with a pitching professional during the course of the day on 2 November.

During the competition, a qualified jury of experts and key players driving television content

production and distribution across Africa will select one winner and one runner-up per category based on the project’s creative vision, its originality, and the viability of the idea that could actually be produced.

Judges will be looking not only for a strong idea that meets the criteria, but also for a clear, well-prepared and engaging pitch that will express the concept, the storyline and the characters that inhabit the story.

Registered producers interested in entering the DISCOP Johannesburg Pitching Competition must fill out the form: discopafrica.com/ rand-content/uploads/2016/09/ Pitching-Competition-ProjectSubmission-Form.pdf and send it back by e-mail to bettyyengo@basiclead.com Deadline for submission is Friday 14 October 2016.

THE DISCOP PITCHING COMPETITIONS ARE A VITAL ELEMENT OF THE DISCOP MARKETS THAT NOW TAKE PLACE ANNUALLY IN ABIDJAN AND IN JOHANNESBURG. DISCOP RUNS AND PROMOTES THESE PITCHING COMPETITIONS AS A WAY TO DEVELOP YOUNG TALENT AND TO SUPPORT THEM IN SECURING THE NECESSARY FUNDING AND DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT TO BRING THESE PROJECTS TO FRUITION.

30 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

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Pemba Island, Tanzania; The Manta Resort; Underwater Room; Zanzibar ©Jesper Anhede

The Manta Resort, Underwater Room, Zanzibar

TANZANIA From frenetic Dar es Salaam, to the haunting alleyways of Stone Town, to the mighty peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, Tanzania’s unique location offering deserves international attention.

T

anzania’s natural beauty is evident from only the most cursory of glances, but it’s desirability as a film location has not yet been fully actualised. Films shot on location in Tanzania include Hatari, starring John Wayne, King Solomon’s Mines, Darwin’s Nightmare, and the film adaptation of the Michael Crichton thriller Congo, which filmed at Mwanza Airport, but in recent years, little film activity has occurred in the country, apart from some international service work.

LOCATIONS

Tanzania’s most notable locations include: • Mt. Kilimanjaro • Serengeti National Park • Selous Game Reserve • Arusha National Park • Lake Victoria • Lake Tanganyika • Lake Manyara National Park • Ngorongoro Conservation Area • Tarangire National Park • Ruaha National Park • Mafia Island • Lake Natron

The island paradise of Zanzibar offers alluring looks that are guaranteed to whet the appetite of location scouts; such as coral islands, Pemba Island’s famous underwater luxury hotel, colonial architecture, white sand beaches, dilapidated alleyways in Stone Town, and crumbling yet majestic buildings.

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (ZIFF) ZIFF is East Africa’s largest film, music and arts festival,

which takes place yearly on the archipelago. It features long-form features, short-form features, and documentaries, as well as a workshop/educational track by respected local and international experts.

FILMING PERMIT

All companies, institutions, groups or individuals who seek permission to undertake assignment as film/video producers should complete the Filming Permit

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT / 31

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ACCESS The major airports servicing Tanzania are the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, and the Arusha International Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Major airlines include: Airkenya Express, Air Uganda, Condor, Edelweiss Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airlines, KLM, Precision Air, Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Turkish Airlines.

POPULATION 49.9 million (Source: World Bank)

CLIMATE The main rainy season, or the ‘long rains’, lasts during about March, April and May. The humidity is high and daily temperatures reach the low-mid 30°s.

The long dry season lasts throughout June, July, August, September and October — rainfall is unusual, even on the islands. Temperatures vary hugely with altitude and location, but it’s usually a fine, clear sky and sunny weather.

During November and December there’s another rainy season: the ‘short rains’. If it has rained during the short rains, then it normally dries up for a few months, January and February, which is Tanzania’s ‘short dry season’, before starting to rain again in earnest in March. (Source: ExpertAfrica)

CONTACTS: National Film Censorship Board Department of Culture Development Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Tel: +255 2221 21920 Fax: +255 2221 21920 Email: km@hum.go.tz, filmboardtz@hum.go.tz, filmboardtanzania@yahoo.com Tanzania Tourist Board Tel: 255 22 2111244/5 Email: info@tanzaniatourism.go.tz Website: www.tanzaniatouristboard.com

FIXERS IN TANZANIA Janice Beatty, African Environments, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 506 600 Email: janiceb@africanenvironments.com

Application Form. Film/video producers should submit letters stating reasons for shooting/filming in Tanzania.

They must also attach a synopsis or scripts when forwarding their applications.

All applicants are advised to

submit this form at least one month before the commencing date of the assignment.

TAX INCENTIVES

There are currently no tax incentives for foreign adverts or films shooting in Tanzania.

32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

OCTOBER ZIMBABWE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1–8 Harare, Zimbabwe CHAGRIN DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 5–9 Ohio, USA BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 5 – 16 London, United Kingdom SHNIT INTERNATIONAL SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 5 – 16 Cape Town, South Africa HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 10 New York, USA OAXACA FILMFEST 7 – 15 Oaxaca, Mexico SITGES FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA FANTASTIC DE CATALUNYA 7 – 16 Barcelona, Spain FISAHARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 16 Western Sahara IRIS PRIZE FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 16 Cardiff, Wales TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 16 Kansas, USA NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 21 New Orleans, USA AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 20 Austin, USA

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 27 Chicago, USA SANTA FE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 23 Santa Fe, USA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 23 San Jose, USA HEARTLAND FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 30 Indianapolis, USA PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 30 Philadelphia, USA SAVANNAH FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 29 Savannah, USA MOSTRA SAO PAOLO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 4 November Sao Paolo, Brazil TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 3 November Tokyo, Japan SOUTH AFRICAN HORRORFEST 26 – 4 November Cape Town, South Africa CARTHAGE FILM FESTIVAL 28 – 5 November Carthage, Tunisia DOK LEIPZIG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 6 Novemeber Liepzig, Germany

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DECEMBER NOVEMBER DISCOP AFRICA, JOHANNESBURG 2–4 Johannesburg, South Africa

MALLORCA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 – 12 Palma de Mallorca, Spain HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 – 13 Honolulu, USA LEEDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 – 17 Leeds, United Kingdom

LONESTAR FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 13 Fort Worth, USA

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF ZAMBIA 2 – 10 Livingstone, Zambia

TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 27 Tallinn, Estonia

DELHI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3–9 New Delhi, India

AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 20 Tinapa, Nigeria

BAHAMAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 5 – 11 Harbour Island and Nassau, Bahamas

INTERFILM BERLIN 14 – 20 Berlin, Germany CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 15 – 24 Cairo, Egypt

THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4 – 13 Thessaloniki, Greece

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 23 – 4 December Singapore

NAPA VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 13 Napa, USA

WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL 30 – 4 December British Columbia, Canada

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 14 Dubai, UAE CAPE TOWN AND WINELANDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 16 Western Cape, South Africa WORLD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TORONTO) 17 – 18 Toronto, Canada

Drayson Helberg, Lead Animator, on the set of the animated stop-motion film, Anomalisa . Photo by Chris ‘Toots’ Toot ©2015 Paramount Pictures

CITIZEN JANE FILM FESTIVAL 3–6 Missouri, USA

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DU FILM DE MARRAKECH 2 – 10 Marrakech, Morocco

34 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

IPO PARTICIPATES IN US-SA DIALOGUES The Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) recently participated in the first annual US-SA Film and Television Dialogue, in partnership with the Motion Picture Association, International Film Studios and the National Film and Video Foundation. Held from 10-11 August 2016, professionals engaged on pertinent industry issues through workshops with a focus on topics like SA and the global market place, pre-production, production, cinematography, post-production, marketing, distribution, merchandising and animation.

“This is a critical event that would assist us in ensuring that our producers are at the forefront of technology, and that we continue to develop our skills. As storytellers, it is important to collaborate with producers from other countries, therefore the platform will also guarantee the understanding of how we can best utilise partnerships in order to achieve our goals as a storytelling nation,” said Akin Omotoso, IPO Chairperson.

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WGSA MEMBER APPOINTED AS SASFED CHAIR Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA) member Mamokuena Makhema was elected as the new Chairperson for the South African Screen Federation (SASFED) on 20 August 2016 during the annual general meeting. A seasoned writer, director and producer, Mamokuena is also Co-Vice Chair: Communication, Relations, Marketing and Branding of the WGSA. Mamokuena holds a double BA degree in Theatre Studies and History from the National University of Lesotho (NUL) and a MA in Film from the prestigious Wits School of Arts (WSOA). She has worked at the Pan Africcan Federation of Filmmakers, as an SABC content producer, as a lecturer in screenwriting, film theory and criticism at the Tshwane University of Technology, and has also completed the NFVF Spark and Masters programmes under SEDIBA. She currently works as a freelance writer/director.

The WGSA thanked outgoing chair Harriet Meier, also a WGSA member and former WGSA Chair, for her selflessness and dedication to SASFED over the last two years. “The WGSA would also like to wish Mamokuena the best of luck as she embarks on this challenging yet fulfilling journey,” the organisation said.

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS / 35

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Animation SA has partnered with DISCOP Africa for the first ever Animation Lounge at Africa’s largest TV and content market. The Animation Lounge is a platform aimed at offering tailored value to delegates in the fields of animation and VFX at the three-day market event.

DISCOP attracts broadcasters, pay-tv platforms, mobile networks, online operators, producers, advertisers, influencers and investors from around Africa (65%) and beyond (35%).

“This year, we’re bringing leading international animation broadcasters to the table,” says Nick Wilson, Chair of the Export Missions Committee of Animation SA, who facilitated the partnership. “2016 will also be the first time students will be able to access the event.”

The lounge will offer a presentation session on the main conference programme, a full day of panel discussions, master classes and share sessions, as well as a pitching competition to showcase projects in progress.

Animation SA has arranged a 50% discounted rate of $125 to all its members, offering them: • Access to the Animation Lounge, • Access to all the workshop events and the matchmaking portal, and • Free general access to Jozi Film Festival.

• Students will be able to access the Lounge for just R600.

For more information, email export@animationsa.org.

© Anton Repponen (www.unsplash.com)

ANIMATION SA PARTNERS WITH DISCOP AFRICA

36 / DIRECTORY

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

PAGE

American Film Market & Conferences

+1 310 446 1000

AFM@ifta-online.org

www.AmericanFilmMarket.com

04

Antalis

+27 11 688 6000

marketing@antalis.co.za

www.antalis.co.za

Inside Back Cover

Areyeng Rentals

+27 861 288 644

johan@areyengrentals.co.za

www.areyengrentals.co.za

17

CTICC

+27 21 410 5000

sales@cticc.co.za

www.cticc.co.za

03

Imperial Truck Rental

+27 11 977 7329

pasales@i-t-r.co.za

www.imperialtruckrental.co.za

27

Inspire Furniture

JHB: +27 76 644 0271

jhb@inspirefurniture.co.za

www.inspirefurniture.co.za

Outside Back Cover

CPT: +27 73 893 0313

cpt@inspirefurniture.co.za

Namib Films

+264 64 46 3371

guy@namibfilms.com

www.namibfilms.com

21

Photo Hire

+27 21 462 6933

lauren@photohire.co.za

www.photohire.co.za

19

Pro Events

+27 21 425 2170

info@proevents-sa.co.za

www.proevents-sa.co.za

25

Puma Video

+27 11 886 1122

henk@pumavideo.co.za

www.pumavideo.co.za

Inside Front Cover

Quiver Tree

+27 21 882 8986

stay@qtstellenbosch.com

www.quivertreeapartments.com

23

Refinery Cape Town

+27 11 799 7800

tracey@refinery.co.za

www.refinery.co.za

15

Sasani Studios

+27 11 719 4200

info@sasanistudios.co.za

www.sasanistudios.co.za

09

Synchro Music

+27 83 538 3894

louise@synchromusic.biz

www.synchromusic.co.za

11

Value

+27 83 289 6321

margiew@value.co.za

www.valuefilmfleet.co.za

13

Visual Impact

+27 21 468 6000

marius@visuals.tv

www.visuals.tv

05

Wizardz

+27 21 461 9334

copy@wizardz.co.za

www.wizardz.co.za

35

CONTACT US Cover Image: Roots © A+E Networks, Unit Stills Photography by Casey Crafford | African Photo Productions | Illustration © Freepik

Writer: Kim Crowie kim@filmeventmedia.co.za

Account Executive: Theo Jacobs theo@filmeventmedia.co.za

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za

Assistant Designer: Lauren Smith lauren@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production and Traffic Manager: Natasha O’Connor natasha@filmeventmedia.co.za

Executive Editor: Katie Reynolds-Da Silva katie@filmeventmedia.co.za

Business Manager: Coleen Tapson coleen@filmeventmedia.co.za

Special Projects Manager: Nazeera Hartley Roach nazeera@filmeventmedia.co.za

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Account Executive: Jennifer Dianez jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za

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